Improving the lives of people living with Parkinson’s Disease

Our certified therapists provide the LSVT BIG and LOUD program, which focuses on improving the movement and voice in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Our LSVT BIG and LOUD Program

The LSVT program initially started with the focus on improvement of Parkinson’s using Speech Therapy named after Mrs. Lee Silverman (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment). This was developed in 1987 and has been scientifically studied for 20 years with funding from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). More recently the principles of the speech program were applied to lower extremity and upper extremity movement which was then turned into the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy component called LSVT BIG.

There are LSVT-certified therapists in each discipline of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy at our Johnson County rehabilitation clinics and LSVT-certified Physical Therapists in Miami County. This program consists of treatment four days a week for four weeks, daily homework practice and daily carryover exercises.

About the LSVT Program

    • LSVT BIG can be delivered by either a certified physical therapist or occupational therapist.

      Research has documented the following improvements seen with this treatment:

      • Faster walking with bigger steps
      • Improved trunk rotation
      • Improved amplitude of upper and lower extremities during daily tasks
      • Improved balance
      • Improved quality of life

      In addition to the above improvements, it is also documented that people were able keep larger movements even when challenged with dual tasks. LSVT BIG can be adapted or progressed in order to meet each patient’s needs and range of disease severity.

    • LSVT LOUD is delivered by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist

      Research has documented the following improvements seen with this treatment:

      • Vocal loudness
      • Respiratory function
      • Articulatory function
      • Laryngeal function
      • Voice quality

      This training also utilizes sensory awareness training which helps individuals with Parkinson’s to recognize that their new, louder voice is within normal limits.

      • 16 individual sessions
      • 4 days a week for 4 weeks
      • One hour sessions
      • Daily homework practice
      • Daily carryover exercises

Contact Information

For additional information, or to schedule your evaluation with one of our specially-certified LSVT therapists, please call one of the below numbers:

Johnson County: 913-791-4395
Miami County: 913-294-6679

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About Olathe Health Rehabilitation Services

Olathe Health offers a wide range of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and specialty therapies for children and adults. Our licensed therapists work with inpatients at Olathe Medical Center and Miami County Medical Center and outpatients at 10 convenient locations in Johnson and Miami counties.

Certified Therapists provide specialty rehabilitation services like Hand
Therapy, Pediatric Therapy, LSVT for patients with Parkinson’s and
more.

Learn More

Olathe Health Locations